Life-saving and sporting device



D is, 1923. wzmz? O. F. CAMPBELL LIFE SAVING AND SPORTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5. 1920 2 SheetS-Sheet 1 Dec. 18, 1923. L 1,47%27 O. F. CAMPBELL LIFE SAVING AND SPORTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5 1920 2 Shaeis sheet 2 a ti f atented flee. lg,

OMER F. CAMPBELL, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

LIFE-SAVING AND Application filed September To all whom it may concern."

Be. it known that I. (linen F. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residin at Fresno, in the county ofliresno and Eitate of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving and Sporting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

-It is the object of the present invention to provide a suit adapted to beworn by a person and which will form buoyant means for supporting the person in the water.

it is a further object of the invention to provide a construction including means for conveniently supplying air to the person while wearing the suit.

It is a still further objeet of the invention to provide a device including means for supplying various conveniences in order that the person wearing the suit may live in the water for an appreciable length of time in the event of shipwreck or the like.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompairving drawings, in which- 4 Figure l is a front elevation of the suit.

l is a side elevation of the same.

l ig. fiis a rear elevation of the suit.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the helmet of the suit.

l is a transverse section on the line --f of Fig. *i.

is an enlarged front elevation of the pump mechanism for the suit.

Fig, 7 is a detail front elevation of one of the. connecting members for the device.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on the line a of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a similar view to Fig. 5 showing the helmet open.

The device consists essentially of a suit of flexible material drawn over the le s bodv and arms of a person, and a helmet, prefer ably. of metal connected to the suit so as to be received over the head.

The suit is shown as comprising legs 1, body portion 3 and arms 3. The helmet consists of a rear portion 4. and a front plate said rear portion and front plate of the helmet terminating in shoulder ribsb and T hinged together as shown at S to swing in a substantially verti *al plane. The shoulder and neck portion of the suit received between the ribs 6 and T of the helmet and. within the neck portion 9 thereof in such manner as to form a water tight joint besronrrne DEVICE.

a, 1920. Serial No. 407,933.

tween the suit and the helmet. The ribs 6 and T are shown as extending in a substantially vertical plane down over the shoulders a sullicient distance to form a rigid support for the person wearing the device. The helmet will thus support the head of the person in upright position even should he become unconscious.

Shoes 10 are worn upon the feet over the legs 1 of the suit which, preferably, envelop the feet, said shoes, preferably, be-

mg weighted so as to retain a person wearing the suit in upright position within the water. The shoes may be connected to the legs 1 by any suitable detachable connection 11. The arms 3, preferably, terminate in gloves 19. and addles 12 may be worn upon the hands to assist in swimming.

Th rear member 4: and front plate 5 of the helmet are, preferably, provided at their meeting edges with annular ribs 13 and 1d forming a continuationof the shoulder ribs 6 and 7 \Vhen the helmet is in closed position upon a persons head connecting means are provided for securing said ribs together for forming a water tight connection. The interior of the helmet is, preferably, padded as shown at 30.

The face portion 15 of front plate 5 is, preferably, hinged thereto as shown at 16 so that the face plate may be swung downwardly when it is not required toretain the helmet in a water tight condition. The face plate is also provided with an annular rib 17 in which is arrangedconnecting means for providing a water tight closure for the face plate. The face plate may be provided with eye openings '18 arranged to receiv transparent plates 19. A month opening closed by a plate. having fastening means is also provided in the face plate. said closure plate being, preferably, hinged at its lower edge 21 so that it may swing downwardly into open position. When. however, the person wearing the device is submerged the plate 20 will swing upwardly so as to form a closure for the mouth opening, and said platemav also be manually closed.

An illuminating device shown as an electric lamp '32 may be mounted upon the top of the helmet, aid lamp licing connected by the conductor cord '2?) to a battcry 2+ carried upon the suit. A handle 25 is also. preferably. provided upon the top of the helmet to assist in lowering or raising the person wearing the suit to or from the water llU When the device is not in use the suit portion thereof may be folded and packed within the helmet and the handle 25 will form ready means for transporting the same.

A knapsack may be carried upon the back, said knapsack being shown as connected to the suit by an eyelet 27 therein engaging: a book 28 upon the lower edge of the helmet. This knapsack may be provided with a closure plate 29 arranged to provide a. water proof closure. The knapsack may be employed for carrying food or the like.

The connecting means employed for fastening closure plates 20 and 29 in position and for fastening the rib 17 of face plate'li') in position and also for fasteningrribs 6 and 7 and 13 and 1-1 together, preferably, consists of pins 31 adapted to be received through the parts to beheld together and provided with heads 32 abutting against said parts. The other ends of the pins are provided with transverse members 33 adapted to be received through slots 31 in one of the connected members and then turned so that said transverse members will extend across the slots. Cam surfaces 85 are, preferably, provided upon the slotted members so as to be engagedv by transverse members 33 for drawing the connected parts tightly together when the pins 31 are turned. By this construction water proof joints may be provided.

A toilet receptacle 37 may be carried upon the suit, said receptacle being adapted to be used by unfastening the helmet and slipping one arm from arm 3 of the suit.

A receptacle adapted to contain air is l received around the waist of the suit in order to form buoyant means for supporting the person wearing the device in water. This receptacle is shown as a tube to retained in position by means of straps 41. The means employed for filling the tubewith air may consist of a pump cylinder 42 fixed upon the suit. A piston 43 is arranged to be reciprocated within the pump cylinder by means of the pump. handle 44, said piston being equipped with an upwardly opening check alve so that when said piston is moved downward any fluid within the lower portion of the cylinder 42 will automatically open the check valve in said piston and pass into the chamber within the cylinder above said piston. The lower end of the pump cylinder communicates by way of pipe 45 which is provided with a check valve 46 with a two-way valve 47. This valve is arranged to be manually turned so as to make communication with either conduit 48 or conduit 49. These conduits are arranged as pipes extending down within the respective legs 1 to a point adjacent the toes.

The lower end of pump cylinder 42 also communicates by way of conduit 50 with a cross valve 51 arranged to be manually actuated so as to open conduit 50 to a nipple 52 leading to the atmosphere, or arranged to shut off conduit 50 from nipple 52 and open a discharge nozzle 53 to a conduit 54 com iuunicating with the upper end of the pump cylinder. The upper end of the pump cylinder is also provided with aconduit 55 having a check valve 56 therein and communicating withthe tube 10.

In operation with valve 17 closed and valve 51 turned so that conduit 50 is open to the atmosphere, when the pump is actuated air will be drawn in through nipple 52 to the pump cylinder and will be forced outwardly therefrom through conduit 55 to the tube 40; W hen it is desired to employ the pump for pumping oiit any water which may have accidentally leaked into the suit, valve 51 is turned to cause communication between nozzle 53 and the pump cylinder, and valve 47 is turned so as to cause comnuiuication between either conduit 48 or 49 and the pump 1 cylinder. When, now, the pump is actuated a pumping action will be provided in the leg of the suit having its conduit in communication with the pump cylinder, any water pumped by said pumping action being discharged through conduit 51 and nozzle 53.

A conduit 60 leads from tube 40 to the in terior of the suit, said conduitbeing closed by a valve 61. By this arrangement air may be supplied to the interior of the suit to increase the buoyancy thereof and also to provide air to be breathed by a person wearing the suit when the helmet is closed. This air within the suit may be discharged past an outwardly opening check valve 62 provided in the helmet of the device.

An oxygen tank 63 is, preferably, provided upon the suit, said tank having a conduit 64 leading to the tube 40. This conduit may be controlled by a valve 65. The oxygen tank is alsoconnected with the interior of the suit as by a conduit 66 controlled by a valve 67. By this arrangement through suitable manipulation of the controlling valves oxygen may be supplied to the interior of the suit or oxygen may be supplied to the tube 10.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a buoyant suit, of ahelmet comprising members hinged together to swing in a substantially vertical plane, and cam means for securing said members in contact.

2. The combination with a buoyant suit, ot'a helmet comprising hinged members, a face plate separately hinged to one of said members, and means for detachably securint: said members and said plate in contact.

3. The combination with a buoyant suit, of a helmet secured to said suit and having in two parts, diverging members extending outwardly and downwardly from the lower portion of said parts, the lower ends of the diverging members being hinged to each other, and a face plate hinged to the front portion of the front member of said helmet.

6. In a life saving device, a helmet formed in two parts, diverging members extending outwardly and downwardly from the lower portion of said parts. the lower ends of the diverging members being hinged to each other, a face plate hinged to the front portion. of the front member of said helmet, and cam devices for securing said members in contact.

7. in a life saving device. a helmet. comprising a pair of members adapted to receive the head of the wearer. diverging arms extending outwardly and downwardly trom the lower portions of said members, the lower portions of which arms are hinged to each other, a face plate hinged to the front member of the helmet, and means for detacln ably connecting marginal portions of the members of the helmet and said diverging arms.

8. In a life saving device, a helmet comprising a pair of members adapted to receive the head of the wearer, diverging arms extending outwardly and downwardly from the lower portions of said members, the lower portions of which arms are hinged to each other, a face plate hinged to the front member of the helmet, and cam means for detachably connecting marginal portions of the members of the helmet and said diverging arms.

5). In a life saving device, a helmet formed in two parts, the. lower portions of which are hinged to each other, a face plate hinged to the front part of the helmet, a pad arranged on the interior of the other part of the helmet, and an outwardly opening check valve carried by said helmet and provided with a stem extending into said pad.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

OMER F. CAMPBELL. 

